caliente

I'm still not Erikka. I'm her friend Rebekah, though sometimes she calls me her "colleague" and I get mad at her. My regular blog is over here.

I've been watching porn since I was 18, living in the dorms and having to sneakily minimize my browser window whenever my roommate walked in. It has lead me to a lot of disturbing experiences, including the time I accidentally learned what "scat" means (thanks, Kazaa).

I like queer and feminist porn. Within that specific PORN GENRE (I can't believe I just typed "porn genre") there's a commitment to making the porn transparent, so the viewer understands what's going on--the politics of it, the technical process of filming and editing, the experiences of the people involved, etc. I like hearing interviews with the actors/models/porn stars/sex workers (whatever your preferred term) before and after the shoot, what they liked about it and what they didn't.

A few weeks ago I was watching two people have sex in a way that seemed genuine, like the two people were really enjoying themselves and connecting with each other--which is not extremely rare; I don't think it's too difficult to find porn where both people are into what they're doing. Anyway, I was looking at the comments for the shoot, and people were saying things like:

-There wasn't enough __________. I want to see more ________.
-I didn't like the color of _______'s hair.
-Next time they should do ________________.

And it really bothered me for some reason! I don't think of porn like I would a book or a movie, and I don't watch it thinking, "Oh, the plot could be improved by more of a buildup to conflict" or "the characterization seems flat." To me it seems like porn should be "realer" than a book or a movie--less constructed. Like I said, I want to think that two people are doing what they want to do, not going through motions just to please a wider audience so whatever porn website can make more money. And there was something sexist about it, too, the idea of male audiences imposing what they want onto what women are doing.

But as easy as it is to feel self-righteous about my response, I wonder if there's also something puritanical about my attitude. Sex is a commodity as much as anything else. Does it have to be special? It's a neutral category, like food or conversation or art, and has value not because of anything inherent but because of the value we choose assign it. I'd probably get pissed at anyone who tried to tell me that making out with a stranger has to be sacred. No, it doesn't. I'll decide when I want kissing to be meaningful.

So what does that mean for my porn? I guess I shouldn't be surprised or offended when people talk about porn like they're consumers, because, well, people who watch porn are consumers. But I still think it's hotter when the two people seem like they're just having fun with each other and not exclusively playing to the camera or audience. I can't help it! I'm an idealist. Maybe some website can start marketing a new brand of porn--Idealist Porn.